DIRECTIONS:
How to go to Dinagat Islands?
Option 1- Book a flight bound to Surigao then ride a tricyle to Surigao port. Locals call it Boulevard. Ride a boat bound to San Jose port in Dinagat island.
Option 2- Book a flight bound to Butuan (cheaper). Look for vans outside the airport bound to Surigao terminal. Ride a tricycle going to Surigao port or Boulevard then look for a boat bound to San Jose port.
ITINERARY
Day 1:
7am-ETA Butuan airport
7:20am-ETD Airport
9:40am-ETA Surigao Terminal, breakfast
10:20am- ETA Boulevard(Port)
10:40am-ETD Boulevard port
11:40am-ETA San Jose Port (Dinagat Island)
12:10- ETA Duyos Island, Check in, relax
9pm- Lights out
Note: There are two ports bound to Dinagat Island. Make sure to ride the boat going to San Jose port
Boat Schedule
Boulevard- San Jose Port
5:30am – first trip
6:30pm – last trip
San Jose Port- Boulevard
5:30 am – first trip
5:30 pm – last trip
*Note: There are daily trips to San Jose port and the boat departs every hour
Day 2
6:10am- ETD Duyos island
7am- ETA Lake Bababu, orientation, start trek
8am- ETA Lake
11am- ETD Lake
12noon- ETA Pangabangan Tidal Pool
1:10pm- ETD Pangabangan
1:35pm- ETA Punta Villa Beach Resort, start freediving
2:30pm- ETD Punta Villa
4:30pm- ETA San Jose Port
6pm- ETA Surigao Port, dinner
Day 3
2am- ETD Surigao terminal
6:30am-ETA Tandag terminal, breakfast
7:30am- ETD Tandag
8:50am-ETA Salvation, jump off to Britania group of islands
9:20am- Start of island hopping
◦ Hagonoy Island
◦ Naked island
◦ Buslon Island
◦ Hiyur Hiyuran Island
5pm-End of island hopping, clean up, dinner
6pm-ETD Britania
7pm-ETA Barobo
8pm- ETA Hinatuan, check in at Marky’s Hostel
*Note: There is no direct trip from Britania to Hinatuan so we needed to ride the bus bound to Barobo Terminal and catch the bus to Hinatuan
Day 4
7am- ETD Marky’s hostel
7:40am- ETA Enchanted River
8am- Start of Island hopping (Fetchita’s resort, Sibadan, Rock Island)
10:30am- end of island hopping
11am- check out at Marky’s Hostel
11:30am- ETA Hinatuan Terminal
12:30pm- ETA Barobo, start of island hopping
◦ Vanishing island
◦ Cabgan island
◦ Turtle island
4pm- end of island hopping, wash up
4:30pm-ETD Hinatuan
8pm- ETA Butuan, go home
*Note: People usually use the Fish port as their jump off point but we opted to go to Haga port. The minimun boat rental for the island hopping at the Fish port is 2k but we were able to haggle the price when we arrived in Haga
EXPENSES:
*Note: Some of the expenses were divided by two since I came with my friend
Expenses Day 1
250- Van to Surigao Terminal
100- Tricycle from Surigao Terminal to Boulevard (Good for 7 pax)
120- boat fare to Dinagat
1k- (500 each for accommodation 2 pax)
3500- (1750 each for 2 pax) island hopping for 2 days (8 destinations) good for 6pax
Expenses for Day 2:
Lake Bababu
300- (150 each)guide fee
10- beach entrance
25- entrance to lake
Pangabangan Tidal Pool
10-beach entrance
20-tidal pool
Punta villa
20-beach entrance
120- boat fare from San Jose port to Surigao port
100-(50 each) tricycle from Surigao port to terminal
Expenses for Day 3:
250- van from surigao to tandag
80-van from tandag to salvacion, britania
30-tricycle from salvacion highway to jump off point
1k- (500 each)island hopping
50-entrance fee to britania
30-entrance to runway
30- tricycle from britania to salvacion
400-(200 each) accommodation per night at Marky’s
Expenses for Day 4
400- (200 each) tricycle to Enchanted River (good for 3)
500- (250 each) boat to island hopping(good for 5pax)
20- Entrance at Fetchita’s
20- Entrance at Sibadan
110- Bus from Hinatuan to Barobo
80- (40 each) tricycle to Haga port (jump off point of Barobo island hopping)
1300- (650 each) Barobo island hopping
80-(40 each) tricycle to barobo terminal
173- bus to butuan
150-(75 each) tricycle to airport
Total for 1 pax= 6218 excluding airfare and food
CONTACT NUMBERS:
SURIGAO DEL NORTE
Dinagat Island
Boatman for island hopping (Kuya Dadong Balele)- 09484559773
Lake Bababu- 09382558957, 09301393172, 09506409520
Duyos Island- 09090668104
SURIGAO DEL SUR
Britania Group of Islands
Boatman for island hopping (Micko)- 09354761635
Tourism- 09107378689, 09197042380
List of Resorts/ Accommodations in Britania (Room Rates)
Oasis- 09461594357
10pax-2500
20pax-5k
2pax-1500
YSha’s -09214829523
14 pax-3500
10pax-3k
8pax-2k
4pax-2k
Viel’s- 09105525717, 09278562427
2pax-1500
10pax-3500
free wifi
cooking area
no corkage
Optional:
Bonbon Beach-1k entrance
2k room per night good for 30 pax
2 persons- 1500
Hinatuan
Marky’s Hostel- 09284397785, 09053879319
Barobo
Tricycle- 09105794192
Boatman for island hopping- 09469953698
THINGS TO KNOW:
In Dinagat Island
- Duyos island has their own generator
- We had to pay 50 pesos for every meal they will cook (ex. boiled eggs, pancit canton)
- There is one store in the island and the products are not overpriced 🙂
- It’s better to bring your own food since there is no restaurant in the island.
- Punta Villa Beach Resort has beautiful corals a few meters away from the shore.
- It will take around 1 hour to reach Lake Bababu. It has an underwater cave and for freedivers, you will notice a change in temperature when you reach around 5 meters below. The water suddenly gets warmer.
- There is signal for Globe subscribers but the data connection is weak around the accommodation area. It’s better to stay near the docking area for stronger connection.
In Britania group of islands:
- Hagonoy Island is the most beautiful among the 4 islands included in the island hopping. It’s also the furthest. The locals usually stay longer at Buslon island (nearest). So it’s better to go to Hagonoy island first.
In Enchanted River:
- It’s better to arrive in Enchanted River by 7:30am especially during weekends. They said it opens by 8am but that’s because the shuttle starts sending people to the river starting that time. It’s around 10-15 minutes walk.
- For drone pilots, they don’t allow anyone to fly their drones around the river’s vicinity. There was an incident in which one of the guests was injured that’s why they were strict about it.
- You can go to the nearest resort, White Blue Resort, located just outside the docking port for island hopping to fly your drones. Mine took 350-400 meters (distance) to reach the river. There are wires above the river so its better to fly your drone around 70 meters altitude just to be safe.
- For freedivers, no one is allowed to dive in the left side of the river anymore 😦 They assigned an area in the right side where people can swim. It actually looks like a lap pool in there.
In Barobo:
- There are people in the terminal who will charge too much for your fare. Contact the number above and check the usual rate 🙂
- For freedivers, they mentioned a good marine life in Westlife, Cabgan but we weren’t able to go there due to swimsuit malfunction 😱😭
- There are cheap inns a few meters away from Barobo terminal.
Sexy Lakwatsera 
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